In a highly speculative piece in the NY Times, the paper of record is suggesting that a battle is brewing between “Avatar” and “Alice In Wonderland” for 3D screens in March.
With “Avatar” still owning the box office, and expected to be boosted by tomorrow morning’s Oscar nominations, of which it will undoubtedly pick up Best Picture, Best Director and a plethora of technical nods, some are suggesting that exhibitors are not pleased that they will have to take the lucrative “Avatar” off their 3D screens to make room for “Alice In Wonderland” on March 5th. And its certainly not helping matters that the Oscar telecast will occur just two days later, supposedly killing whatever awards season bump James Cameron’s epic might receive.
So how serious is this issue really? Probably not that serious. Traditionally, the “Oscar bump” usually applies to smaller films that are suddenly thrust into the spotlight thanks to Academy recognition. “Avatar” is a mega-blockbuster that has had endless press since last summer and frankly, it doesn’t need any more help getting the word out. If “Avatar” gets more “bumps” it will probably be after the nominations are announced tomorrow.
As for the exhibitors who are supposedly “grumbling” at having to make room for “Alice In Wonderland,” we don’t buy it. With no comments from anyone, not even anonymously, we’re guessing they spoke to one or two people off the record who expressed slight misgivings. The fact is, “Alice In Wonderland” is a mega-tentpole with one of Hollywood’s most bankable stars in the lead role. There is little doubt that “Wonderland” won’t completely dominate on its opening weekend (if not the weekend after when it faces off against “Green Zone,” “She’s Out Of My League” and “Remember Me”) making theater owners more than happy.
All that said, things will get interesting at the end of March when “How To Train Your Dragon,” opening on the 26th, will take over 3D screens just a week before the newly three-dimensional “Clash Of The Titans” on April 2nd. Granted, there will probably be some screen shuffling at that time, but since the former is a family film and the latter for teens, we could easily see matinee screenings going to one, while evening screenings go to the other. Again, its nothing that a little scheduling can’t resolve and an overall issue that will gradually go away once more screens with 3D projection are added to multiplexes around the country.